Warp thread beam arrangement for warp knitting machines



July 6, 1965 K. KOHL 3,192,743

WARP THREAD BEAM ARRANGEMENT FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 4, 1962 INVENTORI KARL KOf/L United States Patent WARP THREAD BEAM ARRANGER ZENT FUR WARP KNITTING h/EACHENES Karl Kohl, Hainstadt am Main, Germany, assignor to Karl 1 layer, (lifenbach am Main, Germany Filed Sept. 4, 1 362, Ser. No. 221,133

Claims priority, appiication Germany, Sept. 6, 1961,

M 50,231 3 Claims. (93!. 66-36) The present invention relates to improvements in warp knitting machines, and more particularly to a warp thread beam arrangement for such machines wherein a plurality of beams or spools for a corresponding plurality of warp threads are mounted side by side.

Difiiculties have been encountered with the withdrawal and guidance of warp threads from the warp beams to the knitting elements when the flanges of the wrap beams had frusto-conical thread supports and a relatively large spacing had to be provided between adjacent beam so that the end windings of the warp threads, particulraly with the decreasing diameter of the thread package, had to be bent about the other flange edges to bridge the space between adjacent beams. The resultant friction of the threads against the flange edges caused changes in the wrap thread tension during operation of the knitting machine, as well as wear and possible breakage of the threads. A reduction of the flange cross section was practically not possible because the flanges had to be strong enough to support the considerable pressures of the thread package stored on the beam.

If special guide means is mounted between th warp beams and the knitting guide bars so that the withdrawal path of the warp threads is not determined by the outer edges of the beam flanges but by the interposed guide means, the work of threading the machine initially is doubled since the threads must be guided through the special guide means as Well as the guide needles. This is uneconomical and, furthermore, it still involves friction between the special guide means and the threads although thi friction is somewhat lower than that encountered between the outer edges of conventional beam flanges and the threads withdrawn from such beams along the flanges.

The above and other disadvantages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by constructing the longitudinally extending warp beam with its pair of flange means, which extend substantially perpendicularly to the beam at the respective ends thereof, so that each flange means of the pair has a generatrix forming a frusto-conical support for the warp thread and the smaller diameters of the frusto-conical supports face each other.

When a plurality of 'such individual warp beams are mounted in side-by-side relationship on a beam tree, the individual wrap threads will be withdrawn from the beams and guided to the knitting elements of the machine along the outwardly inclined plane of the frusto-conical supports without touching and being deviated by the outer edges of the flange means. This avoids the frictional engagement of the threads with these outer edges and the above-described resultant disadvantages thereof. Furthermore, this flange structure makes it possible to reduce the spacing between adjacent beams or spools, which, in turn, makes it possible to reduce the angle of the thread path in relation to the beam axis from the beam to the knitting elements.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more fully explained in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure illustrates a warp thread beam arrangement for a warp knitting machine according to this invention.

Since the invention may be used in connection with any type of wrap knitting machine and such machines are conventional the knitting machine is represented on the drawing only by the side walls 1 and 2 of the machine frame, which form the beam support frame or beam tree for the requisite beams of rolls of yarn.

As shown, the beam tree supports a longitudinally extending beam means mounted on the tree transversely thereof. The beam means is constituted in the illustrated embodiment by hollow shaft 5 and means is provided for rotatably supporting the hollow shaft on the support frame 1, 2. The illustrated shaft supporting means is constituted by trunnions or pins 3, 4. One end of shaft 5 is keyed to pin 3 which is rotatably journaled in side wall 1 while the other end of the hollow shaft is mounted by means of ball bearing means 16 on trunnion 4 in side wall 2. Trunnion 4 is threadedly engaged in a bore in side wall 2 whereby the hollow shaft 5 may be readily removed from the beam tree, a hand wheel 17 being provided on trunnion 4 to facilitate the removal and mounting of the hollow shaft.

In the illustrated embodiment, the beam means comprises two rolls 6 and 6a mounted on the hollow shaft for supporting two wrap threads. The wrap thread rolls are held on the shaft against axial movement by clamping rings 7.

Each longitudinally extending warp thread beam means constituted by a roll for supporting a warp thread has a pair of flange means extending substantially perpendicularly to the roll or beam at the respective ends thereof. Each flange means includes an outer edge 14 and a generatrix 8 forming a frusto-conical support for the wrap thread at the respective ends of the beam. The smaller diameters 9 of the frusto-conical supports of each beam face each other, i.e. the frusto-conical supports taper inwardly and toward the center of the beam.

The frusto-conical support surface 19 for the flange means may be formed by a continuous frusto-conical surface or by a series of ribs extending radially between the inner diameter 9 of the flange means and the outer edge 14 thereof.

The two frusto-conical flange supports 10 define with the longitudinally extending beam means an outwardly tapering space 15 holding the wound warp thread 11 or 11a. The path of each warp thread 11 to the knitting mechanism of the machine, which is schematically indicated by guide needles 18, 18a, is thus defined by the angle of the frusto-conical flange supports in relation to the axis of the longitudinally extending beam means. In each instance, this path is outwardly inclined from the end of the beam means and lies in the plane defined by the generatrix of the frusto-conical flange support and the knitting corresponding guide needle.

As shown, one flange means of each pair of flange means is adjacent to one flange means of the adjacent pair, the outer edges 14 of the adjacent flange means each defining a flat plane. A spacing disc 13 is mounted between the parallel flat end planes of the adjacent flange means which, in conjunction with the angle of inclination of the frusto-conical supports, defines the spacing 12 between adjacent beams.

The inclination of the frusto-conical supports and the corresponding path of withdrawal of the warp threads from the beams is so selected that the wrap threads bridge the spacing 12 between adjacent beams without, however, touching the outer edges 14.

The wound package of warp threads stored in the outwardly tapering space 15 of trapezoid cross section exerts a considerably smaller pressure on the flange means supports 1%) than in conventional warp beams. For this "A? reason, the flange means may be made of reduced cross section or a larger thread package may be stored on each beam.

While the invention has been exemplified and described in connection with a single embodiment, it will be clearly understood that many variations and modifications may occur to the skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a warp knitting machine, a plurality of guide needles and a warp thread beam arrangement comprising a beam support frame, a longitudinally extending beam means for supporting a corresponding plurality of warp threads mounted on said support frame transversely thereof, means for rotatably supporting the beam means on said support frame, and at least two pairs of flange means extending substantially perpendicularly to the beam means, the flange means of each pair being spaced from each other along the beam means and one flange means of each pair being adjacent to one flange means of an adjacent one of said pairs, the beam means exten ing between each. pair of said flange means supporting respective ones of said Warp threads, each flange means of each pair having a generatrix forming a frusto-conical support for a respective outermost one of said warp threads supported on the beam means extending therebetween and the smaller diameters of the frusto-conical supports facing each other, the inclination of the frustoconical supports being so selected that the outermost warp threads Withdrawn from the respective beam means along said supports are guided along a straight path to a corresponding one of said guide needles and, when in contact with the outer edge of the flange means, pass the outer edges tangentially.

2. The Warp thread beam arrangement of claim 1, wherein the generatrix of each flange means is a continuous frustoconical surface.

3. The Warp thread beam arrangement of claim 1, wherein the generatrix of each flange means is a series of radially extending ribs.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,638 8/98 Tymeson 242118.41 1,287,857 12/18 Brandt 242-11862 1,934,169 11/33 Crooks 242-118.4 1,956,191 4/34 Crooks 242-1184 2,264,116 11/41 Howsam 242-1184 2,269,867 1/42 Sirmay 66-86 2,37 6,364 5/45 Lambach 66-86 2,458,898 1/49 Di Addrio 242-118.4 X- 2,568,892 9/51 Keight 242-1184 2,823,530 2/58 Rikard 66-86 2,932,181 2/60 MacCai'lray 66-80 3,076,616 2/63 Wenrich 66-86 X RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

